The Bachelin
by galaxygal
Summary: Set between ANH and ESB, Han and Leia share a Corellian dance and find some common ground in their childhood memories.


**A few disclaimers…**

**I was writing Star Wars stories in my head long before the novels were written and didn't know about the comics as a kid, so I don't feel a need to make my stories correspond to everything that's been published or is the standard storyline. I enjoy reading fanfiction and appreciate the way each person adds something to our understanding of these great characters. One beautiful idea that I couldn't ignore is Han's gift of a tapestry depicting Alderaan found in Chanel19's, "Healing." It's hanging in Leia's room in my story.**

**In my head, the Bachelin is inspired by the Pasodoble from the end of the movie, Strictly Ballroom. For some reason, I've always imagined that Corellian music and dance had a Spanish flair.**

**And the standard disclaimer, I don't own Star Wars…**

"Hey, - Princess."

Leia looked away from Luke to glare at the man tapping on her shoulder. "What do you want?"

Luke was not happy about the interruption either and tried to push him away. "This is my dance, Han. Go away!"

Han looked over at Luke, barely registering him in the conversation. "Sorry, Kid. So Princess, do you know how to dance the Bachelin?" He turned his full attention back to Leia.

"I learned the steps, but I've never really danced it."

Han's face broke into a wide smile.

"Why?" Her voice was wary as she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Wedge is going to have the Rogues play the Bachelin a few songs from now and bet me that I couldn't find anyone to dance it with me. You know me. Can't turn down a challenge." His smile grew a little suggestive. "Meet me in the hall when this dance is done."

_How does he do that?_ She thought as she watched his retreating form. "Why do I already regret this?" she sighed to Luke.

"Because it's Han and we know him."

They smiled at each other, but then were silent for a few moments, moving to the music until Luke chuckled to himself. This was the way it was for him. Whenever he had Leia to himself, Han was somehow still always there with them.

"What?" Leia looked at him suspiciously.

"Nothing."

"What?"

"You say you don't like him, but you sure think about him a lot."

"I assure you that I don't give him a second thought."

Luke laughed. "Look, I'm just telling you what I see." He would not have thought it possible, but she was giving him a glare that usually only Han could earn. "And I know that I'm going to stop talking now." He smiled and pulled her a little closer as they finished the dance.

Leia found Han in the deserted hallway, practicing a few of the steps. The Bachelin was a Corellian dance, one of the few that originated on the planet. Its movements mimicked the mating dance of the large Bache birds that lived in the planet's central land mass. At least that's what her father had told her. It had been one of his favorite dances.

She couldn't help the amused look on her face as she said, "You're practicing?"

He smiled sheepishly, but continued practicing.

"This is more than a bet."

"My dad taught it to me years ago when I was little. It's one of the few clear memories I have of him. He loved this dance. He swore that each of us kids was a direct result of every time him and mom danced it."

Leia's eyebrows rose and she put steel in her voice. "I assure you, Captain, that there will be no children created from this dance tonight."

"Not with that attitude, there won't." Han gave her his best smug grin.

Leia smiled and rolled her eyes. "Each of us kids. So, you had siblings?"

"Yah," He continued practicing one of the steps. "There were four of us all together, or would have been. I was the oldest, Yos next, then Jaina. Mom was pregnant with another boy when she was killed."

Leia looked at Han, shocked that he had offered this information. Was he a little drunk? That would explain his exuberance for the dance and loose tongue. She wasn't going to waste the opportunity to find out about his past though. "How old were you?"

"Nine."

"So your youngest brother would have been about Luke's age?"

"I guess so. I never thought about that."

"What happened?"

Han's head snapped up to look at her, and the fear in his eyes told her that he was not drunk.

"Please?" she whispered.

Han looked conflicted then gave a little sigh. "Clone troops killed mom first, then they came after us at the house."

"Why?"

"They said we were traitors."

"Were your parents separatists?"

"No." His voice carried anger in it. "My parents were loyal to the Republic."

"How'd you survive?"

"Dad hid me in the cellar, and the cook's son died in my place."

"I'm sorry." Without thinking, she moved forward and placed her hand on his arm.

He slowly shook his head and let a small smile stir at the corner of his lips. "I don't think I've ever told that to a living soul, not even Chewie. Maybe I've drunk too much tonight."

"Or maybe like me, something triggers the memories, and - you can't stop them. You've just got to hope that you've got a friend standing there with you when it happens." She smiled up at him.

Han looked down into her big brown eyes. "A friend, huh?"

"I'll give you that for tonight. We can go back to being adversaries tomorrow."

"We're never adversaries, sweetheart. We're just friends who disagree – a lot."

She shook her head in amusement. "Don't you think we'd better go over the steps before we have to dance this?"

Leia was surprised to find that she did remember most of the movements. Han took her back over the order of the steps and which ones they'd really be able to use in the small dance space.

"Do you know what to do in the middle when the music slows?" He asked.

"You mean the part where I wait for you to come to me?"

"Yah."

"I'll do fine." She hesitated, then decided to ask any way. "So dancing the Bachelin tonight – is it the bet, or is this for your father?"

"Both. But there is one more thing that makes it worthwhile."

"What's that?"

Han stepped closer to her and his voice went low. "It will drive the Rogue betting pool into a frenzy."

Leia laughed. She knew of Wes Jansen's odds on the two of them. She was sure that Han would be surprised to know that she even knew about the number of people who were betting he would bed her. Of course, the original bet had been one week's time and that had been placed over a year and a half ago. Han was right though. Dancing the Bachelin would revive the pool's waning interest.

Han gave her a sly smile. "My money's on you being the death of me yet."

"Funny. I bet on the same thing." She met his gaze with a serious look on her face, but a smile in her eyes.

By then, Han had led her back into the room and they waited with others on the side of the dance floor for the amateur band to start the Bachelin.

Han brought Leia to the center of the floor, and they took their starting positions. The dance was a sensuous play of moves that brought the couple together then forcibly apart again, but always smoothly moving in and out of each other's embrace. Han and Leia moved together well – especially since it had been many years for both of them. When Wedge realized that Han and Leia were dancing the real steps, he decided to include the slow bridge, to see what they would do. By that point, all of the other couples had stopped dancing in order to watch. Leia was conscious of all eyes on them, but fortunately this part was about Han's steps, not hers.

She brought her arms together at the wrists and began to move her hands in imitation of a bird gently flapping its wings. The fact that the Bachelin had originated on Corellia had surprised her at first. For a planet where men and women were equal, it seemed very patriarchal. As she had learned the steps though, she began to see how the dance was not about power but the give and take of courtship. All of the movements were equal and balanced. The man made the first moves and appeared to be in control, but here in the bridge, control subtly passed to the female for the rest of the dance.

Leia watched as Han began his moves that would take him away from her then back. She _could_ understand why babies were conceived after this dance. It was enough that Han's hazel eyes were intensely focused on her, but as his body moved through the steps, it was clear what a strong and agile man he was. Leia's body tingled as she watched him, and she fought to remain expressionless as the dance dictated at that point. _Why did the most infuriating man in the galaxy also have to be the most handsome?_ She moved her arms and head into the position that was supposed to show the female's receptivity. Her heart pounded as he circled behind her, brushing against her as he did. _I have a bad feeling about this._

The music picked up again and Leia felt her breath catch in anticipation of the lift that would be part of the final sequence. Han's eyes stayed focused on her as he moved her back then lifted her straight up, using her locked arms to support her. Leia's face was radiant as she sailed above him. As he lowered her, she fell into his right arm. Her left arm went over his shoulder and her right caressed the side of his face as he spun her above the ground then continued to lower her.

As the music finished, they moved back into their starting positions – Han on one knee, she standing before him. This time though there was no smug look on his face, no trace of a smile. He looked complete surrender, as if he had laid his heart before her and was waiting to hear her response. As she searched his eyes, she realized that this was where their relationship was headed. She could fool herself all she wanted, but it had become very clear that one of them knew exactly what he wanted. With out breaking eye contact, Han rose to stand before her as the last note faded. She broke into a broad smile and he returned the same.

Everyone in the room began clapping and cheering. Many of the observers came up to pat Han on the back or to tell them both how well they had danced. As the spectators continued to move forward, Leia noticed Rieekan standing against one of the walls and watched as he brushed a tear away. She slipped away from the crowd and moved over to him.

"Good enough for Bail and Breha?," she asked.

"Yes, your parents would have loved it. It was beautiful."

"Thank you."

"You and Solo dance well together."

Leia blushed. "Yes, he does have his moments."

"Yes, he does."

"You seem to like him." Leia had yet to figure out how these two men could get along so well. They were such opposites in her mind.

"I do like him." Rieekan paused to look at Leia as she watched the crowd clamoring around Han. "You do too, but you seem determined against it."

She looked back at Rieekan, her shock clearly written on her face. _First Luke, now Carlist. _ "If Solo gave more reason to believe he was committed to the—"

"He's a good man, Leila." Rieekan interrupted her. "Don't doubt that."

The next song started up, as Han came and caught her arm to pull her away. The crowd was still clamoring in the middle of the floor, oblivious that their object had left. "Join me for a drink on the Falcon? I feel the need to get away now."

Leia looked over at Rieekan. Han's eyes followed hers.

"You wanna come, General?"

"No, not tonight. Some other time?"

"Any time. The Falcon's always open for you. Just don't bring any of the other generals." Han winked at him and led Leia out the door.

"I never said yes."

"You never said no."

"Wait." Han was ready for her "no", but was surprised when she said, "How about a change of locations?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I believe I still have some Corellian brandy hidden away in my quarters."

"Drinking with the princess in her quarters? The betting pool _will_ be in a frenzy."

"Not a chance. No one would ever think that I would _willingly_ take you to my room."

They both laughed and continued on to Leia's quarters. He'd never admit it to her, but Han had always been impressed that the last princess of Alderaan chose to live in the same small quarters that all of the other soldiers did. Her only perk was that she didn't have to share her room with anyone else. As they entered her quarters, he smiled to see that her tapestry of the palace at Antibes was on the wall. He had paid an Alderaanian artist on Sullus to make it for him and given it to Leia for her birthday. _Sometimes I can do something right, well, maybe half right at least. _He turned to watch Leia pulling the brandy from its hiding place at the base of her closet and grabbing two mugs from the nearby storage unit.

"That move where you brought your hand down my face. Who taught you that?"

"It's not part of the dance, is it?" Han shook his head in response as Leia began pouring their drinks. "It was just something that my mother did when she danced it with Popi."

"Your parents danced this? Isn't it a little rough for Alderaan?"

Leia laughed. "Yes. It would have shocked most of the Alderaanian nobility, especially my aunts."

Han held up his eyebrows encouraging her to continue as they sat down on the floor in front of her bunk.

"Popi was good friends with a Corellian senator named Eshi Tar Rei. Have you heard of her?"

Han's smile froze as he mumbled, "Yah, I've heard of her."

Leia missed his reaction as she continued, "Apparently, Popi and Senator Rei would dance together at formal balls when their families were away from Corusant. Dad learned to love the Bachelin and she Alderaan's Cortiane. When Senator Rei visited our planet once, Mati asked her to teach her the steps to the Bachelin. Once Popi learned that Mati knew all the steps, they began to dance it at the end of every ball, after all the guests had gone home. When I was old enough, I would beg my nurse to let me get up to watch. In fact, most of the whole house came. It was beautiful. They moved with such intensity and trust. It was clear that they loved each other. My mother always appeared to be quiet and reserved, but when she danced the Bachelin with Popi, I understood that she had a passionate side as well."

Leia paused to take a sip of the brandy, then continued, "When I turned thirteen, she began teaching me the steps. She had known for years that I came with the staff to watch and used the lessons as a way to teach her only daughter about life."

Han smiled at her. "Like what?"

"You know – the typical things that all young women should know." She returned a coy smile. "Mainly about boys and what to expect as I grew older. She told me stories about how she and Popi met and how she was so nervous around him." She chuckled. "Do you know that when they first met, she had no idea he was the crown prince? In fact, when she found out, she was so angry that she refused to speak to him for over a month. I remember Popi saying that with her, he always knew where he stood, because she loved Bail the man and could care less about King Organa."

The smile left her face for a moment as the memories came back to her. "I think she was worried about me. Popi was always telling me to bury my feelings deep down – that they wouldn't do a princess or an apprentice politician any good. I think she worried, that like everything else, I'd be an over-achiever in that arena and never feel anything. She wanted me to have a chance to be a real person and be happy and loved, not just the responsible head of the royal house of Alderaan.

Leia looked over at Han. He was quiet, but his eyes held the same intensity they had during the dance. Her breath caught and she averted her eyes.

"It was a very tangible learning experience," she stammered as she rose to put the brandy away. "I can remember most every discussion that went with every step sequence."

She took a deep breath and continued, "Mati grew sick and died the next year. The first ball after she died, Popi came back into the ballroom after the last guest left and had the band play the Bachelin one more time. He danced the whole thing alone, tears streaming down his face. I'd never seen grief like that before."

"Leia, I'm sorry. If I'd known, I wouldn't have – " Han suspected that he had screwed up again.

"No," she interrupted him. "I'm glad you did. The loss of both of them still hurts horribly, but nights like tonight… For a moment, the memories are pleasant and worth remembering. She turned her head back to look at him, "And tonight, I do have a friend to listen."

Han stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into an embrace. She let her head rest against his chest and relaxed into him.

They stood like that for a long time until Han said, "Do you have any music in here?"

"Why?"

"I'd like to dance a few more songs with you."

"I have one data pad that has some music on it. Give me a second to find it." She pulled out one of the drawers under her bed and pretended to look. She wasn't about to let Han know that she listened to these songs every sleepless night she spent in her room. She knew he would recognize the first song. They had danced to it on Metus – before she knocked him flat with a blow to the gut. _Served him right for saying that._ In fact, most of the music on the pad tied in to some memory or another with Han. _Would he notice?_

"Found it. Fast or slow?" She asked as she stood and turned to him.

"Definitely slow."

She found the Metus song and started it playing. He pulled her back into his embrace and they slowly swayed together for what seemed like hours.

"Han?"

"Hmm?"

"It's getting late and I have an early meeting." She pulled out of his embrace.

"Skip it."

She laughed, and with a shake of her head, gently pushed him towards the door. "You know I can't."

He turned back to say, "Thanks for dancing the Bachelin with me. I thought we did well."

"We did very well tonight. Thank you."

There was that coy smile on her face again. Did she mean the dance or was she referring to the fact that they had spent the last two hours without an argument? This had to be a new record for them. But of course, he needed to push his luck, just a little.

He moved in close to her, and with his best smile asked, "How about a good night kiss?"

"Good night, Han."

He stepped back towards the door and then turned to let himself out. Leaning against the closed door, she allowed herself a deep sigh as she thought about the Bachelin, Han's intense hazel eyes, and how good it felt to be in his arms. Suddenly, she stood upright and opened the door. She stuck her head out and turned to look after him. "Han?"

He stopped and turned to her. "Yes, Your Worship?"

"Why me?"

"What?"

"Why'd you ask me? I mean there are Corellian women on this base who would know the steps better than me. Why didn't you ask one of them?"

A genuine smile spread across his face, but was he embarrassed? "Dad always said that if I wasn't dancing the Bachelin with my life mate, I'd better be dancing it with the most beautiful woman in the room."

Leia's mouth opened, but she found that she couldn't say anything. She flushed pink but managed to hold his gaze.

"Good night, Princess."

"Good night, Captain."


End file.
